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Course Outline

Introduction.

Foundation Block #1: Character

Foundation Block #2: Dialogue

Foundation Block #3: Point of View

Foundation Block #4: Narrative Style

Foundation Block #5: Setting

Foundation Block #6: Plot

Final Farewell

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The Complete Guide on How To Write a Good Short Story in 6 Steps

If you’re looking to improve your writing skills in general or even learn how to write your first novel , you may have heard that writing short stories is a good way to start. But if you’re not sure how to write a short story, it can feel intimidating to begin. Don’t worry. You’re not alone. And we’re here to tell you that writing a good short story is easier than you think.

So, what’s a short story anyway, and how exactly do people write them?

We’ll guide you through everything you need to know about short stories, starting with what a short story is, the elements of a short story, the types of short stories, and six steps to start writing your first short story today.

pen on paper, writing "once upon a time"

What is a short story?

A short story is a type of prose fiction. By “fiction,” we mean that the characters and events in the story aren’t real. That said, a short story can also include events that happened in real life. This type of writing is historical fiction.

By “prose,” we mean that a short story isn’t a type of poetry with verses, rhyming, meter, and so on.

Short stories typically focus on a single plot incident or a series of closely linked incidents. They also tend to evoke a single mood, whether the mood is dark, happy, or mysterious. This is very different from a novel, which can involve many complicated plotlines and evoke many moods throughout.

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In addition, short stories often have fewer characters compared to novels. Short story characters are fully developed, but their interactions are limited to advancing the plot and evoking the mood of the short story.

Finally, short stories are usually meant for reading in a single sitting. Most short stories are between 5,000 and 10,000 words long, though some can be as short as a few hundred words or as long as 30,000 words.

How to write a short story in 6 easy steps

While writing your first short story shouldn’t take as long as writing your first book, it’s not always easy. That’s because short stories are so focused. There’s a single theme, a single mood, and a single conflict. So, if you’re having a hard time with your first short story, you’re not alone. Here are six easy steps to help you along as you write your short story.

1. Pick a moral or theme for your short story

Remember that the moral or theme of the short story acts as a framework for everything else. That’s why it’s a good idea to think about a theme first. Will your story’s theme be about having the courage to be vulnerable? Or will it be about the power of love and family over money and possessions?

Writers rarely lack the overriding desire to change the world with the stories they tell. A moral argument doesn’t mean that you have to be religious and tell a religious story. It just means that you have something you believe is important for people to know, do, or believe, and you want to use the vehicle of a story to communicate it. What do you want to communicate to your reader about how people should behave in the world?

Another way to think about it is realizing that all stories are about a conflict between good and evil. Your moral argument is the way your character overcomes a specific evil. Though the opportunity for character development is limited in short stories, your character should have a moral dilemma in the beginning that they solve by the end of the story, and how they do this is your theme.

Whenever you feel stuck during the writing process, think about your theme and how your characters or plot event can help readers better understand the theme you’ve chosen.

2. Develop a small cast of characters

It’s easier than you think to create a long list of characters, heroes, and villains for your story. But the trick to writing a short story is to keep the character list short. Each character you create should play a vital role in your story.

A rule of thumb is that a short story needs just two or three characters: a protagonist, a supporting character, and sometimes an antagonist.

The protagonist is the main character in your short story. The reader cares about your protagonist and will want to cheer them on during the story’s conflict. At the same time, no character is perfect. Your protagonist should have a weakness that makes it harder for them to win the conflict and keeps the readers in suspense.

Your supporting character is also on the side of your protagonist. Supporting characters, also called relationship characters, help the protagonist grow as a character so that they can triumph in the story’s conflict.

If your conflict involves two people, your short story should also include an antagonist, or villain. Readers need someone to root against in a conflict, and this is the main purpose of the antagonist.

3. Create an intense conflict

While characters are important in any short story, conflict is what brings those characters to life. Conflict will be the main source of tension and suspense that keeps your readers’ attention. Conflict is also what helps characters change and grow by the story’s end.

A short story only needs one conflict, and the readers should know what it is from the beginning. That said, even a single conflict can make an intense story. Don’t be afraid to put your characters in bad situations to show what they’re made of. Your readers will love it.

4. Write for the senses

It’s true that short stories are very plot-driven, but that doesn’t mean you should leave out the imagery . Transport readers to the world of your short story by describing how everything smells, feels, looks, and tastes.

For example, consider this line:

“The smell of gingerbread woke her from her nap.”

Then compare it to this one:

“The aroma of the warm spices wafted down the hall and pulled her from her sleep.”

The more you describe your world, the more your readers will be right there with you.

5. Proofread, revise, and edit your story

After you’ve written your story, you want to make sure you’ve produced a polished narrative, which means reading it through again and making sure your sentences flow, your dialogue sounds authentic, and there are no mechanical errors.

6. Start writing. Anything.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “The perfect is the enemy of the good?” This is quite true when it comes to writing. It’s all too easy to feel like you can’t write down anything unless it’s perfect the first time. We suggest the opposite. The next time you sit down to continue your short story, write down what comes to mind. It doesn’t have to fit with what you’ve already written. It doesn’t even have to be in complete sentences. Start writing words, paragraphs, or even pages. Then look back at your work and start editing. Fill out the missing words and the plot gaps and delete what doesn’t make sense. Before you know it, you’ll be in your writing zone and totally immersed in the world of your short story.

Elements of a short story

Short stories have been around for thousands of years and are popular in every culture today. While there are many different styles and types of short stories, almost all short stories share the same basic elements:

A character is a person or animal involved in the events of a short story. Characters interact with each other based on their personalities, motives, and what they know about other characters.

A character can be one-dimensional or multidimensional. One-dimensional characters have one personality trait that affects everything they do. A stereotypical fairy-tale villain is an example of a one-dimensional character. On the other hand, multidimensional characters have several personality traits that sometimes conflict with each other. An example of a multidimensional character might be a greedy businessman who also cares about his family.

Characters in short stories are less complex than those in novels. Short story writers add to their characters’ personalities only when it will help enhance the mood or move the story’s plot.

Point of View

Point of view (POV) is the angle from which your story is told. Will your main character tell the story or will someone else? Will the one telling the story even be a part of the story or just be an outside observer? There are three main POVs you can choose to tell your story from:

All stories have to happen somewhere. The setting of a short story is the time and place where the story takes place. But keep in mind that the setting is more than just a specific place. For example, if your story occurs in a house, it’s important to know the country or region too. At the same time, the setting should include the general time period and the time of the year or even the time of day.

Short story writers can use setting as a very effective literary device to express the mood of their short story. For example, a story that happens on a winter night in a lonely mountain village already conveys a dark, ominous mood. But a story set on a spring day in a prosperous town expresses a cheerful mood.

A conflict is a problem within a short story. For example, in O. Henry’s short story “The Gift of the Magi,” a married couple wants to give each other expensive gifts but can’t afford to do so. Thus, poverty is the main conflict in this short story.

The main characters are always on one side of a conflict in a short story. But there are several types of possible conflict. They include:

Most short stories end by ending, or resolving, the conflict. Typically, the main character comes out as the winner, but this doesn’t always happen.

The plot is the series of events and actions that happen in a short story. The plot of a short story drives character interactions and develops the conflict. In fact, one way to think of the plot is as the glue that brings together the characters, setting, and conflict of the short story.

The easiest way to think about the plot of your story is to start with your protagonist. What is your main character’s flaw, and what is their goal in the story? For example, in the short story “Memento Mori” by Jonathan Nolan, a story that was adapted into the movie “Memento,” the main character wants to find the person responsible for murdering his wife.

The next thing to think through is what is opposing your character from reaching their goal? In “Memento Mori,” the main character’s inability to remember anything is his opposition to reaching his goal. In the movie adaptation, the opposition is compounded by antagonists who take advantage of the protagonist’s amnesia.

The plot of your story is the journey your character goes through to overcome the opposition to reach their goal or not. In fact, your character may realize that the goal they were pursuing was the wrong goal and will end up reaching a different goal. Because of the brevity of short stories, your story will usually focus on one major story event that decides whether or not the protagonist reaches the story goal. Short story plots typically follow the structure below:

Just remember that you’re writing a short story, so you’ll have to move through these plot points quickly without making the story feel rushed.

The theme of the short story is the central point or idea of the story. Common short story themes include:

The theme acts as a framework for the short story, and all other parts of the story should relate to the story’s theme.

Types of short stories

Chances are that you’ve already come across many short stories throughout your life. Here are a few common types of short stories and their characteristics to help give you some short story ideas.

An anecdote is often called “a story with a point.” People write and tell anecdotes to express a message through a short narrative. By the end of the anecdote, the readers understand not only the story but also the larger point or “lesson” of the story. Typically, characters in an anecdote are people in believable situations.

While an anecdote involves humans and realistic settings, fables are the opposite. Almost everyone can think of a fable, which involve talking animals, legendary beings, or other fantastical elements. Fables can be set on Earth or take place in magical lands far away and long ago.

But, like anecdotes, fables are stories with a point. The main purpose of a fable is to convey a moral.

A vulture boards an airplane with two dead raccoons. The flight attendant turns to the vulture and says, “I’m sorry, only one carrion allowed per passenger.”

If you love puns, then you’ll love feghoots. This funny type of short story has one goal in mind: to lead the reader to a groan-worthy pun. And, of course, the best feghoot writers keep the reader guessing until the very end.

Flash fiction

On the shorter end of the short story spectrum is flash fiction. This type of short story is less than 1,000 words long. Yet just because flash fiction is short doesn’t mean it’s easy. Good flash fiction writers include all of the important elements of a short story in less than two pages of writing. That’s why flash fiction competitions are so popular all over the world. There are even competitions that limit short stories to 500 or even 100 words.

A short story meant to be part of a larger story or work is a vignette. The purpose of a vignette is to focus on a single moment about one part of the larger story. This could be a particular character, idea, or object.

Writing a short story is easier than you think

Writing short stories is a lot of fun, and it’s great practice for writing longer stories. It forces you to focus on what’s most important to the story you’re telling, and you get the unmatched feeling of knowing you took a story idea from concept to completion. If you decide to start writing short stories, you’re in great company. Stephen King, arguably one of the greatest storytellers around, began his career writing short stories for literary magazines. You can begin your journey to writing success by writing short stories as well. Learning how to write a short story can seem daunting, but we’re here to tell you that it’s easier than you think. Professional writers from all over the world help people like you become better short story writers through online courses , master classes, and seminars. Once you have mastered the art of short story writing, you’ll find yourself better prepared to learn how to write a novel too. All it takes is a little learning and practice.

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30 Inspiring Fiction Writing Prompts & Ideas

30 Fiction Writing Prompts for Students— Though most students begin writing their own short stories from a very early age, there’s something particularly special about the fictional works that kids compose in middle school. The fiction writing prompts listed below are a fun way for middle-schoolers to become better writers and more creative thinkers!

Fiction Writing Prompts and Topics for Inspiration

Tweens and young teens occupy a unique space in their writing that younger and older students sometimes struggle to reach—they can still easily tap into the free imagination typically associated with younger kids. But…

They also have some of the growing sophistication and subtlety that comes with age. This means they can write fictional stories that are fantastical and creative, but that also make logical sense and have clearly defined narrative structures.

With that in mind, we’ve put together 30 brand-new fiction writing ideas, especially for middle school students.

These fiction writing prompts are grouped into sets of five so that you can either select a singular story style for kids to focus on all week long or so that you can pick and choose individual prompts for your students to work on as needed. As your students write, they’ll have to come up with creative ways of telling stories, empathize with characters in unfamiliar situations, and practice various types of writing.

30 Fiction Writing Prompts

Our fabulous list of creative writing prompts will help students overcome writer’s block and help get your writer’s creative juices flowing. Enjoy!

Make up your own character. Describe them in detail—what the character looks like, what the character does, what they like to do for fun, and some of the important people in the character’s life. Then, put the character into the following types of genres and write short stories in each one about them:

Teaching Fiction Writing to Kids

Learning to write fiction is an important part of any student’s education—which is why many classrooms have children begin writing their own stories from as early on as first grade.

Fiction helps kids explore their imaginations and the bounds of reality while also offering them an expansive playground from which they can hone their writing skills.

However, while young students may only need to focus on making up basic plots and characters and constructing a beginning, middle, and end, it’s important for older students to begin learning about the elements of the story and the various ways to construct a work of fiction.

Below, we’ve compiled four essential things your middle school students should know as you begin teaching fiction writing.

Teaching Fiction Writing: Four Things Your Students Should Know Before Getting Started

1. Conflict is the Foundation of Story

No matter what genre your students are writing in or how advanced their writing skills are, one of the first things they should learn is that conflict is the foundation of the story.

Conflict adds tension, drama, and stakes to any story—and in fiction, it can come from any number of sources. It may be a disagreement between two characters, a character’s struggle to accomplish some goal, or simply the uncertainty of what will happen next in the story… so long as the conflict is there, asking to be resolved.

2. Good Fiction is Based in Reality

Many young students have the misconception that they must make up every single detail in their fictional works—but in all actuality, this couldn’t be further from the truth! Good fiction is based in reality and for many authors, that means borrowing characters and events and experiences from their own lives.

Whether your students want to go totally wild and tell completely non-realistic stories or whether they prefer to write something that feels a little closer to home, they simply need to understand that readers connect best with stories that share universal truths and emotions—and these experiences will always be based in reality, no matter how outlandish the rest of the tale.

3. There are No Right or Wrong Ways to Tell a Story

As your students begin to feel more comfortable writing fictional works, you should also begin teaching them that there are no right or wrong ways to tell a story. Many students don’t realize that there are options to storytelling beyond first-person and third-person—or, for instance, that things don’t always have to take place in chronological order.

Encourage your students to try out an alternate form of storytelling in their fiction writing, such as writing in the second person, telling a story out of order, or telling the same event from multiple perspectives.

Further, let them know that it’s ok to play with plot ideas and they may even want to include some fun plot twists in their story.

4. Your Imagination is Your Only Limit

To truly help your students become comfortable in the realm of fiction writing, they also need to understand that imagination is their only limit.

Writers have been exploring the boundaries of storytelling and communication for centuries, and over and over again they find the same thing: that fiction writing is a vast and endless ground where anything is truly possible. When your students understand that no rules are to be placed on their creativity, they’ll be able to freely and fully tell the stories that most capture their imaginations.

More Writing Prompt Ideas, Links & Resources

And for those who are more interested in different genres such as non-fiction, check out these prompts lists:

Ok, have your writers grab their notebook (or computer) and get to crafting their very own fantasy world and story unlike any other.

Until next time, write on…

If you enjoyed these Fiction Writing Prompts, please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. I appreciate it!

Sincerely, Jill journalbuddies.com creator and curator

Fiction Writing Ideas and Topics for Middle School Kids

Tap to See Prompts 27 Amazing Picture Writing Prompts for Kids 162 Creative Writing Topics and Ideas (Updated!) Writing Inspiration Tips and Prompts ------------Start of Om Added --------- @media (min-width: 320px) and (max-width: 767px) { .inside-right-sidebar { display: none !important; } } Featured Posts

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Story Starters: Ten Fiction Writing Prompts

by Melissa Donovan | Oct 24, 2019 | Fiction Writing Prompts | 22 comments

Give these fiction writing prompts a try.

Fiction writing prompts are a fun and inspiring way to stimulate creativity when you’re in the mood to do a little writing but need some fresh story ideas.

Prompts and other creative writing exercises can activate your imagination. Sometimes, prompts and exercises help you come up with new ideas for projects you’re already working on, and other times, they give you ideas for projects you haven’t started yet. They’re also a great source of motivation.

10 Fiction Writing Prompts

Bonus challenge: Write a story that includes each and every one of the ten prompts above. That would be quite a feat!

Looking for more fiction writing prompts and story starters? Some of today’s fiction prompts appear in 1200 Creative Writing Prompts , available in paperback and e-book.

22 Comments

I really like the fourth prompt here. It leaves so many options for where to go. You can write a piece going in the direction of fantasy as a girl comes to grips with her powers. Or maybe about coming of age as a girl comes to terms with her changing body.

The other ones are up and down but that one really stands out for me!

I love any story where someone’s getting powers! I think based on the prompt, the coming of age and changing body would be expected. Having powers is more surprising – of course, those two events could happen simultaneously. That would be rough for the poor girl but a lot of fun for the writer.

Here is a little something I came up with after reading the 10 propmts, I went with the first one. I know it isn’t much, but it is a first thought piece. Let me know what you think.

She rolled over and felt her body push against something hard and solid. Startled, she turned quickly to face the large oak tree planted in her backyard. Relief washed over her as she sat up and cleared her thoughts. “Damn it.” Kylie mumbled under her breath as she stood up. “Where is he?” She bent down to pick up her cell phone and turned for the house, leaving the blanket and book on the ground. She ran upstairs before her mother could stop her. “Young lady, that boy better not come over here today, do you hear me?” Her mother yelled after her, clearly angered. Kylie slammed the bedroom door shut and laid down on her bed. She pressed her phone to her ear and waited for an answer. “Hello.” “Thomas, where are you? I fell asleep waiting.” “Don’t worry, I’m on my way, but I have a better plan.” His voice was eager. “Meet me at Joey’s.” “Won’t Joey be home?” Kylie asked, unsure of her fate. “No, trust me.” He paused, and then added, “I love you.” “I love you, too.” She replied, and he hung up.

Thomas speeded down the streets towards Joey’s house. He hated when Kylie called him for being late. “Why can’t she trust me?” He grumbled. “Can’t she understand what I’m doing?” He turned quickly and pulled into Joey’s driveway. The Hansen family was on vacation and Joey left Thomas a key as a favor, as long as they stayed out of his room, he didn’t care what they did. Thomas unlocked the door and walked up the stairs to Joey’s bedroom, he would forgive him one day. Thomas pulled a tin box from under the bed, he new where Joey stored his extra cash. Regretfully, he counted out three hundred dollars, and slid the box back into its place. He quickly left the room and went to wait for Kylie downstairs.

That’s great, Jennifer! I have a lot of fun with creative writing prompts, and I wish I could read more from people who’ve put them into action. It’s easy to see how this could evolve into a longer piece. Nice job.

Love this one!!! SO much. Great Job!

I took prompt number 9. A friend and I are writing a series of stories around two characters we created, so this helped a lot with a short little sweet one.

There are some things you just know. Every day, the sun comes up, and every night, it goes down again. You don’t have to explain how you know, you just know.

The two were sitting on a rock, Cattie in Caleb’s lap and leaning against him, his arms draped around her and his head against hers, both just enjoying being with each other. Cattie wiggled in closer, sighing contentedly. This was one of those little things that made both of them inexplicably happy.

They brought out the best in each other. Caleb was brusque and could go days without speaking, had gone days without speaking. And while Cattie didn’t talk a lot, she talked more than he did.

Caleb knew how to survive, and was teaching her. But Cattie knew how to live, and was teaching him. He was learning how to be sweet from her. She was learning how to be strong from him.

Caleb taught her how to fight. Cattie taught him how to play. He taught her how to observe everything around them. She taught him how to see everything around them.

And both of them were learning that they could be content to just sit with each other. Even if they did have to do the fingertip touching ritual to keep her from freezing up.

There were some things that you just know. They’d be together when they went to sleep. They’d be next to each other when they woke up. You don’t have to explain how you know, you just know.

Caleb would do anything to keep Cattie safe. Cattie would do the same for him.

The sun rises, the sun sets.

This was a good day.

Wow, you made great use of this prompt. My only suggestion would be more showing and less telling. For example, you said “Caleb taught her how to fight. Cattie taught him how to play.” Those two sentences tell the reader something. You could draw each sentence out into an entire scene – one in which Caleb is showing Cattie different boxing moves or martial arts tricks and explaining self defense. Another scene could be Cattie luring Caleb into doing something just for fun. This is the essence of good storytelling – showing rather than telling. But you’ve done a fantastic job with the prompt.

Hey! Thank you so much! This gives me a lot of advice as well.

Could you critique this one? I used most of the prompts, which are all really good. Could you give a guess on my age as well? Just for fun?

Hey. Yeah same.

Hey guys! Could you tell me what you think of this? Thanks! (And could anyone tell me how you

Laura stared at the planet, so lost in amazement that she didn’t think to comment on its size. It overwhelmed her with thoughts. Every day the sun comes up and every night it goes down again. What if all of that stopped? They say the old woman on the top of the hill can read people’s minds, but the last time she walked for a week on foot, that woman had just said that the planet would come. Laura had been frustrated with those words, though, now that she thought of it, it made way more sense to her. She was bewildered. She was confused. What would happen next? The planet looked like it was hovering just feet above Earth’s surface, getting closer and closer, until everything that Laura could see went black. When Laura woke up, she couldn’t see anything. It was pitch black. A shiver ran down her spine. She could feel the grass beneath her. She didn’t remember laying down though. She rolled over and felt her body push up against something hard. She screamed. Terror filled her thoughts.

UPDATE FOR STORY (Just the end of it)

Hi Ana. Thanks for sharing your work here.

So the prompt is at the end, I liked it better that way.

Hannah ducked low in the mine shaft, light dimly illuminating her way back to the accident site. Her radio continued cackling at her hip. “Hannah Ragby. Hannah Ragby do not return. Repeat. Do not return.” Hannah grabbed the radio and pressed the button down with her coal-covered hand. “Sandra is my friend! I’m going back!” She trudged a few more feet before adding her favorite quote of the former: “Don’t tell me how to live my life!” she stuck the radio back on her hip and maneuvered around several fallen beams and rails sticking out of a mini-avalanche of coal-mine-wall. Sandra was trapped underneath the mess, mid-torso down. “Oh my lanta. What the crap are you doing?” she wheezed, looking up. “I thought I told you to get out.” Hannah smiled and sat next to her. “You did. But you see, I have this friend and she’s the most stubborn thing you’ll ever meet…she sorta’ rubbed off on me.” Sandra smiled, teeth a strange shade of grey from the air. “Who is this friend? I’m jealous!” a deep cough tore its way through her body and blood spattered outward. She gasped for a moment before choking up a few more drops. She wiped her hand roughly against her mouth. “Hannah, you should really get out of here, it’s not going to end well.” “No,” Hannah answered, grabbing her hand. “Don’t say stuff like that. It’s not true,” but even as she spoke the words she felt them slide off of a definite truth that everything was not going to be alright. It was as present as the mountain of rock and metal and wood pinning Sandra down, crushing half her body. She looked down at her friend’s face and saw that her eyes were watery. “Hey, don’t go getting soft on me now,” she laughed. “I’ll never go soft on you, geek-wad,” Sandra answered, a grin playing across her chapped lips. “I don’t believe in being nice to people.” Hannah laughed—that was a sentence that often left her mouth but was brazenly proved the opposite. Sandra was known to pack several extra sandwiches so on her way to work she could give them to the homeless people she saw; she was always the one running head-first into trouble to help others out. “Yeah right!” Sandra attempted a strangled laugh but wound up spitting up a considerable amount of blood. Hannah felt a tear roll down her grimy cheek. “Come on, you can’t leave me,” she pleaded, scooting so she could prop Sandra’s head up on her lap. She wiped crimson from the combination of tear-streaked dirt and coal from Sandra’s face. “You’re my best friend,” she whispered. “You’re mine too,” Sandra managed between ragged breaths. They heard the scratches and shouts of people digging through. “Hey! There they are, Sandra! It’ll be okay!” Hannah squeezed her hand. Sandra’s eyelids were drooping, but she squeezed back as well as she could. “Hannah…” Hannah looked down and put her other hand over the one she was holding already. “I love you,” she spluttered, red streaking out the sides of her mouth again. “I love you too,” she answered, tears falling and mingling with her blood.

Hannah stood at the front of the memorial service, microphone in hand. “Sandra always said there are only a few certainties in life,” she said, feeling the lump already rising in her throat. “One was that The Magic School bus was and forever will be legit. The second was that love isn’t only for husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, but also for friend and friend. She always said the last was the most important because sometimes we forget. Every day the sun comes up and every night it goes down again.”

Oh dang. The stupid internet took out all my formatting….I am competent, despite what my English teacher believes. Sorry.

No worries. It happens.

Wow, Courtney, you got a lot of mileage out of these prompts. A whole scene! Good job!

Thanks for these! I do a daily writing prompt blog and I really liked a couple of these – they are on my schedule for October 28th and 29th and I can’t wait to use them 🙂

Awesome! Can’t wait to see what you do.

My husband disappeared on October 12, 2005. I was young then. We were newly married, had just celebrated our one-year anniversary. He’d given me a beautiful pearl necklace. I’d given him a new grill. The pearls now rest in the corner of my jewelry box. Unworn. Untouched for years. I had to sell the grill. I couldn’t bear to look at it. No matter how long John was gone, I don’t think I would ever truly believe he was dead. No. It’s not some sort of denial I’m going through. After all it’s been 6 years, and thousands spent on therapists. I know that he is physically not near me, but I know he is not dead. I’m sure he would’ve visited if he were. I can see ghosts, or spirits or specters or whatever you want to call them. They appear to me around the clock, and have since I was a girl. Luckily I was never really afraid of them, thanks to my Gran, but trust me, I was never particularly happy to have them hanging around.

I used number 2, but changed it to a husband. 🙂 I’m already 500 words in. Fun.

Wow, this is great. Actually, when I first read the opening line, I didn’t realize you were posting fiction — I thought it was real. Kind of startled me, which means it’s working!

Mom says it happens to all girls, but I think she’s just trying to make me feel normal. I wasn’t normal though. I see things, I can hear them. They haunt me every waking moment, they haunt my nightmares. I can see them crying for help, their deaths before they even know it. I was helpless to them, I could do nothing to save them. I blinked my eyes, trying to make the vision go away. The school bus, one of the safest places, was unsafe.

“Don’t!” I yelled as my brother walked to the bus stop. “I’ll drive you to school.”

Jake looked at me in confusion, he knew I hated driving him to school. The bus was going to crash though, some innocent kids were going to die. I couldn’t stop them all, but at least I could stop my brother.

“You’re weird.” Jake muttered, throwing his bag in the backseat.

Not weird, just not normal.

Your writing has a strong voice. I like the concept here. It’s just creepy enough for kids.

Awesome prompts, have a few ideas rolling around right now. I used #1.

She rolled over and felt something hard press against her body. It looped its arm around her, tugging her closer unconciously. She bit back a sigh, not wanting to wake him. As always neon numbers of the alarm clock showed it to be about three, but she already knew the time without having to spare a glance. It was always 3. Everday she woke at the same time on the dot. It’d become a pattern punctuated by nightmares, one that she couldn’t escape. The nightmares were the cause of her restlessness, reminding her of memories that she wanted to forget.They replayed in her head, ending just before she would have died, both in the dream and in real life. She likened the waking from the dream’s clutches to the police bursting through the door, the light from the kitchen spilling in heroically. The clock behind the police had read 3 o’clock, forever burning the time into her mind.

She stepped back into her memories for a moment to think about what had happened. Slipping back into them, as she did every night, she began to forget where she was. Blood seemed to seep down the walls of her bedroom, staining them a foul red. Her mother had painted the walls a dark red before she died, claiming them to be homey. Thankfully for her father, the paint blended almost perfectly with her blood, so he never had to see and feel guilty for what he did. The chains he’d hung seemed to swing just outside her line of sight, taking place of the curtains over the window. He’d chained her that night, not wanting her to struggle. His cuts had to be precise, otherwise he had to start all over again and he didn’t like that. His OCD often showed through, despite the medication. The blade always winked in the light from the hanging blub, winking as if it was all pretend.

“Elle, Baby, what’s wrong?”

His voice didn’t belong, there was never anyone else after her mother died. It was just her and her father. Just the two of them. If there had been someone else, maybe they could have saved her.

“Elle, come back to me. Come back to me baby. You’re safe, you’re not there any more. ” hands pulled at her own, pulling them back from her face. If she couldn’t see him coming, maybe she could pretend it wasn’t happening. The blade would always wink at her. She didn’t want to see it wink any more.

“He can’t hurt you any more. ” The voice lied, he would always hurt her.

It looks like you started a story. I hope you’ll keep going with it!

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